The Delight of an Antique Wedding Ring

Posted on February 17 2017

In the world of jewellery, there is little more poignant and meaningful an item to hold in your hand than an antique wedding ring. The pattern worn; flattened sides; thinned to a shadow of its former self; or rich with the warm patina of dinks and scuffs earned by a lifetime's wear, they hold personal history.

This delightful antique wedding band is dated 1904. That's 113 years old! Imagine a marriage which may have survived two world wars...maybe the husband even served in the trenches in WW1? Exchanged when young and fresh and full of hope, it has years of service etched into it's surfaces. It really is something quite touching to handle an antique wedding band which has been worn for so many years. They have seen the living of the vows that were exchanged promising themselves to each other in lifelong love and fidelity. Years of work, maybe washing, cooking and cleaning for the family ....a blessed token of all that marriage entails; the emotional, mental and physical devotion. It is 18ct gold and was made in Birmingham, and if you look carefully, you can still see traces in the depressions of the hallmark of the 22ct gold mercury gilding which would have been applied at the time of making to make the ring look as bright as possible.

The exchanging of wedding rings is a tradition throughout the world to signify dedication to one relationship with one other person, and these to be worn throughout the marriage, perhaps for 40, 50 or even 60 years. The symbolism includes that of the circle; perfectly round, complete, and never ending. A band with no end, representing eternal life, the cycle of life. The rings should ideally be made of a metal which is as pure as possible, and gold, the noble metal itself was traditionally chosen as it is pure, and will not tarnish or rust, symbolising the permanence of marriage.

In our view, choosing an antique wedding band has such a richness of 'story' it would always be our first choice, and the chance to bring an antique wedding ring to life again is such a delightful thought it makes our hearts leap!